Once Upon A Love Affair
by Itachilova101
Summary: Sakura and Sasuke are not what you would call The perfect couple. Sasuke constantly feels like he must compete with his brother for everything and his wife is not an exception. ItaSakuSasu Major OOCness for Itachi!
1. Family Reunion

A/N: Well, this is the first chapter of one of my new stories… I'll be posting the first chapter of another story as soon as I get it back from my beta! Okie dokie, enjoy!

* * *

"Well, it's now or never," stated Sasuke cynically. "Let's just get in, get out and get home, okay?" 

"You sound as though you're going to war, or something," commented Sakura.

"There will be a war if I'm stuck in the same room as _him_," replied Sasuke, sounding angry.

_Every year, _Sakura thought exasperatedly.

"With who, your brother?" she asked. "Don't be so bitter, Sasuke-kun, it's not like he intentionally tries to show you up."

"I know, and that's what I hate about him," he said. "He's so perfect without trying to be…"

"Oh, don't be silly, Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed Sakura with a giggle. "He's not perfect, he's just better than you."

"Yeah, and that makes me feel _so_ much better…"

"Good, now, come on," she commanded, taking his arm and pulling him toward the building.

"Wait a minute," replied Sasuke, pulling his arm free and looking Sakura up and down. "I thought I told you not to wear that?"

"And I thought I told you I like this dress," she remarked. "It looks good on me…"

"It's tacky…"

"It's _pink_, Sasuke-kun… Now, if I started dressing like an Easter egg, that'd be tacky… Until then, what I'm wearing is not tacky."

"Well, it's too pink," he complained.

"You're just angry that I forced you to come here tonight," she accused, knowing it was true. "Now stop being a baby and take it like a man."

"I'm not being a baby," he argued, trying to keep his manly pride.

"Whatever," she replied with a sigh, walking off without him. "I guess I'll just go show _Itachi_ my dress… I'm sure _he'll_ think it's pretty…"

Then, she saw Sasuke rush by her and storm into the building all on his own, slamming the door shut behind him.

When she saw the door shut, she couldn't help but laugh in spite of her husband…

_Works every time… _

When she entered the large hall that the family room was being held in, she was engulfed in the chatter of her in-laws, the music from the live band and the excitement of the whole party.

She stared up at the large banner that hung from the ceiling that said, "Welcome to the Uchiha Family Reunion, 2007!" and sighed.

If Sasuke had his way, he probably would have ripped that banner down and force fed it to his entire family by now…

"Hey, little bro," she heard that all-too-familiar voice holler and she smirked happily.

She looked around to see Sasuke, looking very unhappy, being approached by his older and much more favored brother and his mother.

She approached her husband and stood by him.

Later, she would just tell him she was there for "emotional support"…

"Hey, Itachi," she greeted. "Hi, Mom…"

"Hello, Sakura-san," replied her mother-in-law.

"Hey, Sakura-san," Itachi said, smiling. "How're you doing?"

"I'm great," she replied. "And yourself?"

"Finer that fine, dayer than day and smarter than ever," he replied with a chuckle.

She giggled and nudged her husband in the arm.

"Still pouting?" she asked.

He didn't answer.

"Hey, Sasuke, you haven't seen Mom for a while, have you?" asked Itachi. "Why don't you two go and talk?"

The younger Uchiha gave his brother a warning glare while he let his mother take his arm and they walked off.

"When was the last time I saw you?" asked the elder Uchiha. "The last reunion, wasn't it?"

"Uh, yeah," she answered, "I think so… With Sasuke-kun being so busy with work and all…" She let her sentence trail off.

He nodded in understanding. "Yeah, he's always been a hustle-and-bustle type of guy, hasn't he?"

She nodded in agreement.

Then, the sound of her favorite song caught her attention and she smiled slightly.

"Oh, don't tell me, let me guess… This is your favorite song, isn't it?" asked Itachi.

She inquired, "How'd you know?"

"You told me at the last reunion," he answered.

"That was a year ago…"

"Why are you so surprised?" he asked, smirking.

"Every time this song comes onto the radio, I have to tell Sasuke-kun it's my favorite, but he never remembers…"

"Well, I like to listen carefully to what you say so I'll always remember it…"

"You do that with everybody?"

"Nah, only with you…"

Her interest was piqued by that statement, but she didn't ask further.

"Well, in celebration of my remembering, will you treat me to a dance?" he inquired.

"Um…" she mumbled, her cheeks burning up. "I-I'm married…"

"Well, would it change your mind if I told you that I dance with the promiscuity of a three year old?"

"Hm, that's a convincing argument…"

So, she took the hand he offered her and walked with him to the dance floor where he awkwardly placed his hands on her waist and hers on his shoulders.

"So, is there a possible future Mrs. Uchiha in your life?" she asked, trying to make conversation.

"Not yet, but I do sort of have a crush," he answered.

"Oh? I thought crushes were for teenagers, not grown men," she teased playfully.

"Well, I guess you can say I'm a fifteen-year-old at heart…"

Then, she realized how close they were suddenly. He arms were wrapped around his neck and his hands her maybe an inch or two above the curve of her rear.

She blushed slightly and she felt him clear his throat.

They both let go of one another and tried to regain their composure.

A lady walked onto the stage and said, "Dinner is now ready, so feel free to have a bite to eat!"

"W-Why don't we, um, sit down and eat something?" asked Sakura, still blushing.

Itachi nodded and they walked toward the buffet.

When they sat down, Sakura felt a little less awkward… A little…

"So, uh, what's the name of this girl you like?" she asked, poking at her food half-heartedly.

"Oh, um… It's not very important…"

She nodded, not in the mood to pry into her brother-in-law's love life.

She looked around to find Sasuke, but couldn't find him.

"I think he went out with Shisui-san to have a cigarette," Itachi told her, taking a pulling one of his _dango _from the stick with his fingers and putting it in his mouth.

"Oh, okay," she replied, regretting hanging out with him…

She didn't understand why her heart raced in such a way when she looked into Itachi's eyes while they were dancing… She didn't understand any of the reactions she was seeing in herself while she was around him when none of these things happened when she was around her own husband…

Then, she felt a pair of hands place themselves on her shoulders and she knew Sasuke was back.

"Are you ready to go?" she heard her husband's slurred words.

She could smell the wine and smoke on him and knew he was obviously drunk.

"Sakura-san hasn't finished eating her dinner," Itachi answered for her. "Why don't I drop her off when she's finished?"

After a few moments, she felt Sasuke's hands disappear as he said, "Lay one hand on her I'll kill you."

She wasn't surprised to hear such a thing from him. It wasn't love that made him say such things; it was possessiveness, pride, ego…

When her husband was gone, she said, "I'm sorry, Itachi… He's been under a lot of stress with work and all… He never used to be so temperamental…"

"No need to lie on his behalf, Sakura-san," he replied with a smile. "He's always been like that…"

"He still has no right to treat you, his own brother, like that…"

"That's just the way brother's are… Now, him treating you the way he does is wrong," he told her. "I've seen the way he talks down to you, the way he looks at you when he thinks nobody's watching…"

She shook her head.

"It's not-"

"Let's just enjoy our wonderful dinner and forget about all this, shall we?"

She nodded and began to eat; feeling a little more appreciated than she usually did with Sasuke.

* * *

A/N: Like it? Hate it? Tell me in a review! XD 


	2. Phone Call

A/N: Wow… Thanks so much for all the warm fuzzies you gave me! XD I'm glad you all like this story! Here's the next chapter, so… Enjoy!

* * *

When Itachi dropped Sakura off at her house, she said, "It was really nice seeing you again." 

"Um, I wanted to tell you earlier, but Sasuke got in the way… That dress really looks lovely on you…"

She blushed and did a mental victory dance.

"Thank you very much, Itachi," she replied, gave him an innocent kiss on the cheek and left the car to walk into the house.

_Take that, evil husband… _

She turned on the light in the kitchen and noticed an either asleep Sasuke or an unconscious one.

She nudged his shoulder slightly, but he didn't budge.

She sighed and left the room, turning off the light.

She walked to the bedroom she shared with Sasuke and fell onto the bed, exhausted. Without even changing from her dress, she fell asleep then and there.

* * *

Sakura hummed to a song she'd come up with in her mind while she dusted the pictures on the walls, smiling from ear to ear. 

She was so immersed in her good mood that she didn't notice Sasuke walk through the door.

She twirled to the other side of the room to get to the pictures on the other wall, still humming.

"What're you in such a good mood for?" asked Sasuke, sitting on the couch.

"Can't I be happy for no reason?" she asked, carefully wiping the picture of Sasuke and Itachi as kids.

"I suppose…" he answered.

When she finished her dusting, she sat down on the opposite side of the couch and sighed for no apparent reason.

"Didn't you have a good time at the Family Reunion last night?" she asked.

"So that's what this is about!" exclaimed Sasuke angrily. "What did Itachi do to you?"

"Nothing, Sasuke-kun," she replied, her brow furrowed. "He just drove me home…"

He sighed and apologized, "Yeah… Sorry… It's just… That bastard has always had the spotlight because he's just so smart and so popular and so talented… It gets annoying…"

"I understand," she replied, staring down at her hands.

She really couldn't blame neither Sasuke nor Itachi… She had noticed that, compared to Itachi, Sasuke was pretty lame, but that wasn't Itachi's fault… And she did understand Sasuke's anger and bitterness towards his brother.

"So, what's for dinner?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Well, I-I got a little carried away with the cleaning and I kind of forgot to make something for dinner," she mumbled, biting her lower lip.

She looked to him to see that he looked pretty ticked off.

"I work all day to put food in the cupboards and in the fridge, and you can't even manage to put it in an oven?" he asked angrily.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "It was an accident…"

"Well, sorry doesn't cut it sometimes," he replied.

"What? So, you can apologize and you expect me to automatically forgive you, but I can't expect the same?"

"That's entirely not the point…"

"Fine then," she said, finishing the argument. "Make your own goddamn dinner…"

And, with that, she walked out of the sitting room and to her room to go steam about how much she regretted marrying Sasuke…

She tended to do that a lot more lately.

She often wondered how different life would be if she'd met Itachi before she met Sasuke…

_If only… _

* * *

For some reason, Sakura couldn't get Itachi out of her mind ever since she'd woken up five hours ago. 

She couldn't help but remember how handsome he looked in his designer suit, how he looked at her when he complimented her dress… That childish glint in his eye when he'd asked her to dance with him…

Then, the sound of the phone ringing jolted her out of her thoughts and she walked back into the sitting room.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," she greeted, thinking it was Sasuke calling to make sure she was getting dinner prepared.

"Close, but I'm gonna have to give you a no on that one," she heard the voice on the other end reply.

"I-Itachi…?" she whispered, her eyes widening and her cheeks heating up.

"Bingo," he answered with a chuckle.

"Uh- What's up?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from going high-pitched.

"Oh, uh, not too much," he answered, "I'm at work at the moment, but I get off at five… I was planning on going out to dinner with Mom and I thought you and Sasuke would like to join in… My treat, of course…"

"Oh, that sounds nice," she replied. "You called just in time; I was just getting ready to make dinner… I'll definitely talk to Sasuke-kun about it and I'll call you back…"

"Sounds like a plan," he said. "I'll look forward to it."

"Okay, so… Until then?"

"I'll look forward to it."

And the two hung up.

* * *

A/N: Ooh, I wonder what Sasuke's gonna say! Well, tests have proven that reviewing makes me update faster, so please review! XD 


	3. Dinner Date

A/N: Hiya! I hope this chap is longer than the last one! I hope you enjoy it! Thank you to everybody who reviewed! It means a lot! XD

* * *

"No, absolutely not," Sasuke stated angrily. 

"Why not?" Sakura asked, furrowing her brow.

Sasuke had just walked into the house to see no dinner and Sakura had explained to him about Itachi's offer. Needless to say, Sasuke wasn't exactly jumping in excitement…

"You should know the reason why," he answered, standing up and walking into the other room.

Sakura followed him, continuing to try and persuade him.

"Come on, Sasuke-kun," she persisted. "It's only a few hours, what'll it hurt?"

"I did well by avoiding him at the reunion, why ruin it by going to dinner with him?"

"He wants to be a brother to you!" she exclaimed. "Why can't you look past his success and popularity and see that he cares about you?"

"You really don't see what he's doing, do you?" he asked her, turning to her.

She shook her head, at a loss.

"When I was three years old, I had this toy and I loved it… One day, Itachi takes it from my room and claims that it's his and we fought for hours… Eventually, my mom gave it to him… It's been that way all our lives… He wants everything I have…"

"What if you're wrong?" she inquired. "He might just want to get close to you with no ulterior motive…"

"I refuse to believe it…"

"Well, too bad, because you're coming with me…" Sakura finalized, walking off. "Better get into something nice to wear…"

"Wait, where are you going?" he asked, following her into the sitting room.

"I'm going to call Itachi and tell him that we'll meet him for dinner, now go get dressed," she commanded.

She heard Sasuke's exasperated sigh as he stomped off, sounding like a child.

She smiled, shaking her head.

It was times like these she enjoyed being with Sasuke, his immaturity at times, reminded her of a child and it greatly amused her.

She always wished she had kids, but…

"Things don't always go according to plan," she whispered, looking for Itachi's number in the phone.

When she found it, she pressed dial and put the receiver to her ear.

When somebody picks up, she hears Itachi's voice say, "Hello".

"Uh- Itachi… Hi…" she stammered, not used to calling other men.

"Hey," he replied, his voice becoming a lot more upbeat.

"Um, I talked to Sasuke-kun…" she let her sentence trail off.

"Well, judging that Sasuke isn't going into a fit of maniacal laughter, I'll assume you'll be joining us?"

"Yes," she answered.

"Great," he said. "Fantastic, actually. We'll be at Ichiraku's at- Oh, about six-thirty? Can you make it by then?"

"Sure thing," she answered with a nod.

"Alrighty then, see you there," he replied.

"See you…"

And she hung up.

Wondering why Sasuke hadn't come down yet, she walked into the bedroom and saw him, shirtless, rifling through the closet.

"What'cha doin'?" she asked, walking toward him.

"Where did all my good shirts go?" he asked, not turning to her.

"Where all of your clothes go, in the closet," she answered, sitting on the bed, watching him search… and search… and search…

"Ah-ha!" he exclaimed, pulling out a white dress shirt.

She walked to the closet and pulled out a black, strapless dress and quickly put it on.

"What're you wearing that for?" he asked, turning to her, his brow furrowing. "Who're you trying to impress?"

"Nobody," she answered. "Being a house wife is boring; can't I dress up for a change?"

"Hn," he replied, finishing buttoning his shirt.

She took a white cardigan out of the closet and put it on to make sure she didn't look whorish and left the room.

It was almost quarter after six and she didn't want to be late for this.

"I'll drive," she called up the stairs, grabbing the keys to her car.

She preferred not to have a car, but Sasuke said that it was a good idea, just in case.

"What if I'm stranded somewhere and I need somebody to pick me up?" he'd asked the day they went to get a car.

_Might as well put it to use, _she thought, sliding behind the wheel and pushing the key into the ignition.

Sasuke slid into the passenger seat, sulking.

"Don't worry, Sasuke-kun," she said. "You'll have a good time if you go in with an optimistic attitude…"

"Great, my night's going to suck," he stated very pessimistically. "Thank you very much, Sakura…"

"Anytime," she answered, pulling out of the driveway and onto the road.

* * *

"Hey!" exclaimed Itachi, a large smile on his face. "There are a couple familiar faces!" 

"Hey, Itachi," greeted Sakura, giving him an innocent hug.

Sasuke gave him a curt nod and gave his mother a kiss on the cheek.

"Now, what do you say we get ourselves a table?"

Sakura nodded while Sasuke shrugged, seemingly apathetic.

When a waitress sat them at a table, Sasuke excused himself to go to the Lil Boys' Room.

Itachi, who was sitting next to Sakura, leaned over to her and whispered in her ear, "How much do you want to bet he comes back with a black eye?"

She thought it over and whispered back, "The twenty in my purse says he comes back with a chipped tooth…"

"Deal," he replied, shaking her hand.

"What are you two whispering about?" asked Itachi's mother, smirking ever-so-slightly.

"Oh, nothing, Mother," he answered, fiddling with his napkin.

When Sasuke came back, he had a red cheek, but no signs of a black eye or chipped tooth.

Both Sakura and Itachi exchanged twenty dollar bills.

"What happened?" his mother asked, looking at Sasuke's bruised cheek.

"Clumsiness," Sasuke lied.

_Sasuke-kun really needs to put a check on his nosiness at the urinals, _Sakura thought, trying to stifle a smirk.

When a waiter came by, everybody ordered their food and dug in.

Of course, like at the Reunion, Sakura felt as though Itachi was feeling a little awkward and when she looked at him, he'd look away.

One time, to test his reaction, she "accidentally" bumped her hand into him. He jumped and accidentally pushed his fork onto the floor.

She giggled slightly, blushing furiously.

It was obvious he was sort of flirting with her and it wasn't entirely unpleasant…

_Let's hope Sasuke-kun doesn't notice… _she thought, noticing Sasuke glaring furiously at his brother.

* * *

A/N: Ooh, Itachi's flirting… I wonder what he's gonna do when Sakura starts flirting, too! … Well, if she does, of course! Hey, you never know, she might! Please review! XD 


	4. Business Card

A/N: Well, here's the next chap! XD Hope you enjoy!

* * *

When Itachi walked Sakura and Sasuke to their car, he extended his hand to Sasuke, who only glared daggers at him. 

He shook his head and turned to Sakura and gave her an innocent kiss on the cheek, secretly slipping something into her hand.

Without looking at it, she put it into the small pocket of her cardigan and said good night.

She and Sasuke got into the car and headed home, Sasuke in a sour mood and Sakura ecstatic.

* * *

Later that night, when Sakura was sure Sasuke was asleep, she went into the small pocket and took out whatever it was Itachi had given her. 

Looking at it, it read, "Uchiha Itachi, Attorney at Law" and a series of numbers she guessed was his work number. Under it was his cell phone, as well, the number she recognized from inside the phone.

She flipped it over, blushing, and noticed his neat handwriting that said, "If you ever need to talk!"

She stifled a squeal and hid it in the one place she knew Sasuke would _never_ check, the drawer she kept her sanitary napkins.

She buried the business card at the bottom of the drawer and shut it.

She stole one last glance at the drawer and walked away, smiling from ear to ear.

* * *

When Sakura awoke, she turned to see Sasuke and sighed in slight disappointment. 

She'd been hoping the dream she'd had the night before had come true, but luck, obviously, was not on her side.

She got out of bed and went to the kitchen to fix her and Sasuke's breakfast.

As she took out the pans to make eggs and bacon, Sasuke walked into the room, looking still half-asleep.

"'Morning," she greeted with a slight yawn.

"Hn," he replied, sitting at the table and placing his head in his arms on the table.

"How do you want your eggs this morning?" she asked, knowing Sasuke's spontaneity when it came to meals.

"No eggs," he answered… More like groaned.

She sighed and put away two of the eggs and started her own.

"What would you like then?" she asked, watching her eggs.

"Food," he answered vaguely.

"Funny," she commented dryly. "It's too early for your games, Sasuke-kun, so why don't you-"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do!" snapped Sasuke angrily, standing so suddenly he tipped the chair he was sitting on over.

Sakura was taken aback by Sasuke's outburst.

She only stared at him in shock and confusion, forgetting her eggs.

He sighed and said, "Forget it… I'll make my own breakfast…"

She looked back to her now burnt eggs and sighed, shaking her head. She dropped them into the trash, dropped the pan into the sink and stormed out of the room.

She sat on the couch and held her breath, trying to keep the tears in her eyes from actually escaping her eyes.

She closed her eyes and let her breath out in a sigh.

_Itachi would never be so insensitive, _she thought, feeling a small sense of bitterness toward her husband.

When she heard him walk to the kitchen table, she decided he would be too busy stuffing his face to yell at her again, so she walked right through the kitchen and into her bedroom.

After locking the door, she felt free to cry, so she let out all the tears she'd been holding in.

Then, she realized what had been on his plate, scrambled eggs and bacon…

She clenched her jaw and fists, trying to keep in her anger and… Hatred? Did she actually _hate_ her husband?

She shut her eyes and racked her brain for the last time she actually felt even a stitch of love or affection for her husband.

"Never…" she whispered, opening her eyes.

She'd thought she'd loved Sasuke that one passionate night… The night of their seemingly non-committing one-night-stand… The night her entire life flipped upside-down…

She heard the doorknob twist and Sasuke knock on the door.

"Sakura, let me in," he commanded.

"Why should I?" she asked, her voice thick with tears.

"Because I have to be at work in an hour and I'm still in my pyjamas," he answered impatiently.

"Be late for all I care," she stated angrily.

"This is no time to have a temper tantrum, Sakura," he told her. "Now open the goddamn door!"

"No!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

It felt good to scream at him. It made her feel less bitter toward him. She started to feel the tears drying up, but she still felt anger towards her husband.

"We'll deal with this later, Sakura," he said. "You can hit me if you want, but can't it wait until I get back to work?"

"No," she answered, sitting on the floor, bringing her knees to her chest and resting her forehead on her knees. "I'm not opening the door…"

"Fine, stay in there," he finalized. "I'll go get some clothes from the laundry room…"

Sakura smirked in spite of Sasuke, almost laughing as she heard him walk off.

"Sakura!" she heard him yell, back at the door. "Where are all my clothes?"

"I put them away yesterday," she answered. "They're in the closet…"

"God, Sakura!" Sasuke yelled, sounding even angrier than before. "First, you start flirting with my brother and now you won't let me in my own bedroom!"

"Who said I was flirting!" she yelled back.

"You don't think I saw the, 'Oops, how did my hand get there' act?" he asked.

"I-I…"

He sighed and said, "Okay, sorry, Sakura… Is that what you want? I'm sorry for yelling at you and I'm sorry for everything else I might have done…"

She thought for a few moments and then stood, moving toward the door and unlocked it.

Sasuke stormed into the room and nearly ran to the closet while she left the room and sat on the couch, staring at her hands folded neatly in her lap.

She no longer felt so angry and irrational. As a matter of fact, she couldn't imagine why she'd acted so childish in the first place.

"Sakura!" she heard Sasuke call from the bedroom. "Where are all my ties!"

_Oh, that's why… _

"Like I've told you a million and one times, in the closet with all your clothes!" she yelled, her anger returning. "Just open your eyes and you'll find them!"

"You know, you're really becoming a bitch, Sakura," she heard him say as he looked through the closet.

_A bitch, huh…? _Sakura thought, smirking. _I'll show you a bitch, Sasuke… _

She went into the bathroom and searched through the drawer she'd hidden the phone card and took it out.

Once she heard the front door slam shut behind Sasuke, she picked up the phone and dialed Itachi's office number…

* * *

A/N: Ooh, steamy! … Well, no, not really… But it is angsty! XD 


	5. The Truth

A/N: XD Next chap! Please enjoy!

* * *

"Uchiha Itachi's office…" Sakura heard a female voice say after a few rings on the phone. 

"U-Um, may I please speak to Itachi?" she asked, a little embarrassed.

She'd expected to speak directly to Itachi, now she felt like she was intruding in some way.

"Please hold…"

Then, she heard a click and waited a few moments before she heard Itachi's voice say, "Uchiha Itachi speaking…"

"Hey, Itachi," she greeted, still a little embarrassed. "I'm really sorry if I interrupted you at work, it's just-"

"Sakura!" Itachi exclaimed, sounding much happier than when he first answered the phone. "Hey, what's up? What can I do you for?"

"Well, I was wondering… Do you think we can go out for coffee or something? I really need somebody to talk to…"

"What'd he do?" she heard Itachi's voice become lower and he sounded angry. "He didn't hit you, did he?"

"No, it's just… It's hard to explain over the phone…"

"Okay, well, if you stop by my office, I'd love to go out for coffee with you," he told her.

"Okay," she replied. "Thank you, Itachi…"

"It's no problem at all, Sakura," he stated.

He gave her the address and they hung up.

* * *

As Sakura drove to Itachi's office, she wondered whether she should just turn around, go home and get dinner prepared before Sasuke got home. 

_But Itachi's expecting me… I never should have called him…_

She knew one thing; it was far too late to turn back…

She parked in the paid parking and stepped out of the car, making sure there were no wrinkles in her dress and making sure her high-heeled shoes were strapped on properly.

She walked through the parking lot and, upon entering the building, asked where Uchiha Itachi's office was.

"It's on the third floor, number 324," the receptionist answered. "Would you like me to tell him you're here to see him?"

"No thanks, he knows I'm coming," she said and walked to the elevator.

Once she made it to his office, she stood before her secretary's desk and said, "I-I'm here to see Uchiha Itachi…"

The secretary cracked her gum rudely a couple times and pushed a button on an intercom.

"Uchiha-san, there's a girl here for you…"

"Send her in, please, Akane…"

"You heard the man," she said and pointed at the door.

Sakura opened the door to see Itachi sitting behind a desk, typing away on a keyboard.

"I did call at a bad time," she commented, feeling guilty.

He looked to her and smiled reassuringly, saying, "Not in the least. I was just making up a copy of a letter I'm going to have to send to a judge, is all. Why don't you sit down for a few moments, we'll talk…"

She nodded, shut the door and sat in a chair on the opposite side of the desk Itachi was.

"Why don't you tell me what happened?" he asked, stopping his typing to listen to her.

"Well, it started this morning, while I was making breakfast…"

As she conveyed her depressing story, Itachi listened intently, leaning on his laced-together fingers.

By the time she finished talking, she was in tears and her hands were shaking.

He placed his hand over hers to steady them and told her, "I'm no doctor, but I'd say your… explosion was caused by pent-up anger or stress… I know from experience that it's not easy living with Sasuke ad I'm sure it's even harder for you, with everything that's happened during your relationship…"

_H-He knew about that…? _Sakura thought, her face flushing.

"That's why I'm glad you called me, Sakura," he told me, an unreadable emotion in his eyes.

"Y-You are…?"

He nodded, smiling slightly.

"I love you, Sakura… I hate it, but I do…" he confessed. "I know you and Sasuke got married because of my parents' old-fashioned ways, but they had no right to force you to marry Sasuke… That's why I have a deal to make with you…"

She stared at him in complete puzzlement.

"I can get you a divorce, the only thing I ask from you is… Well, a date… With me…"

Her eyes widened and she felt she was going to faint.

Was he… Asking her out?

"I-Itachi… What are you saying?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"Sakura, I know that Sasuke's the way he is because of me and I can handle that… I refuse to accept him treating you the way he does, though, and I am willing to get you out of this before something bad happens…

"It doesn't even have to be a date if you don't want it to be, just a coffee between friends…"

"I-I'm sorry, but I could never do that to Sasuke-kun…" she told him. "If you do know everything then you should know what how your parents threatened him with disownment if he didn't marry me…"

He nodded.

"Yes, but what can they do if you divorce him?"

"Still… I-I can't do that to him… I made a mistake in sleeping with Sasuke-kun and getting pregnant… Everything has a consequence and I have to live with it…"

"Sakura, your baby was stillborn… There is nothing keeping you with him… I know you don't love him, I can see it in your eyes…"

"Look, I'm sorry, but I can't… I-I have to go…"

She stood abruptly and ran out the door. She heard Itachi call her and knew he was chasing after her, but she didn't stop.

Not willing to wait for the elevator, she took to the stairs and ran down them, a little trouble because of her shoes.

"Sakura!" she heard Itachi call.

She continued down the stairs until one of her heels slipped and she went tumbling down the final flight of stairs.

She stood her ankle hurting and most-likely sprained and noticed that the heel she'd slipped on was broken.

"Sakura," she heard Itachi call again and his hand gently place itself on her shoulder. "Are you-"

"I'm sorry, Itachi, I-I have to go…"

And, with that, she limped out of the building and to her car.

She started the ignition and headed home, embarrassed, hurt and painfully sad…

* * *

A/N: Ooh… More angst… And now everybody knows why Sakura and Sasuke got married! Poor, poor Saku-chan… 


	6. Sad Contemplations

A/N: Sorry, but this chapter's small... It's only because I was a little blocked... Having a bit of a long week... Sorry!

When Sasuke walked into the house, Sakura was lying on the couch, some ice on her hurt ankle.

He looked at her from top to bottom, noticing her tear-stained face and the bruises on her body.

"What happened to you?" he asked, not sounding like he really cared.

"I-I fell down the stairs carrying the laundry down the stairs," she lied, her voice wavering ever-so-slightly.

"Hm, didn't break the basket, did you?" he asked.

She clenched her fists and answered, "No…"

"Okay… What's for dinner?"

"Whatever the hell you goddamn want, _dear_," she mumbled, just loud enough for him to hear.

"What was that?" he asked with a warning tone in his voice.

"I said whatever you want," she repeated with none of the sarcasm from before.

"That's better," he replied, sitting down on the recliner on the other side of the room.

She knew what was going to happen next… He would stare at her and stare at her until she got so uncomfortable that she decided to get off her "lazy ass" and get dinner prepared.

She stood, limping on her bad foot and headed into the kitchen to get dinner prepared, Sasuke following to see what she was making.

"What do you want?" she asked, leaning on the counter to keep the wait off the ankle.

"Anything, I guess," he answered with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders.

She nodded and took out some sliced meat and other things to make sandwiches and got started on making dinner.

She regretted going to see Itachi more than she could really realize. It brought back the death of Sayu and the almost-death of herself.

Her chin quivered and she could feel a fresh crop of tears come to her eyes.

"Does it really hurt that much?" Sasuke inquired, looking a little worried.

She shook her head and swiped away the tears with her arm.

"What's happened to us?" she asked him, forgetting about dinner. "Didn't we ever have that… spark?"

Sasuke seemed to be thinking her question over thoughtfully before he answered, "I don't know… When you told me you were pregnant… I think I was really happy to be having a child, but I've always considered you a friend…"

Sakura nodded in agreement.

It made sense… Some friends just can't live together and start fights all the time, but are fine otherwise.

She went back to getting dinner prepared and when she finished, she headed to bed to relax her aching ankle.

* * *

A/N: Hopes yah enjoyed, please review! 


	7. Love Confession

A/N: Thanks for all teh reviews! XD Sorry it took so long to update, I was away at my friend's house for the weekend! XD

* * *

A few days later, Sakura was feeling a little better physically, unfortunately, she was still embarrassed and very confused. 

Itachi's proposition was very tempting… It was just… How could she do that to Sasuke and risk his being shunned from his parents?

Anybody that knew Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha knew that when something defied their sense of morals they put up the biggest fit anybody's ever seen.

But since when did her choices have anything to do with her in-laws? Why did she care what they thought?

Nonetheless, even if it didn't really impact her negatively it would for Sasuke which would probably be the last stepping-stone to his anger and jealousy of his brother.

That'd only result in violence, hatred, tears, blood… agony…

The sight of Sasuke finally going insane and looking for Itachi's blood for real wasn't exactly a sight she wanted to see.

"Sakura…" she heard Sasuke behind her.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun," she said, turning around. "I didn't know you were still here."

He looked really happy, but a little awkward and sort of embarrassed.

"Look," he told her, "I don't like my brother, he's actually a royal pain-in-the-ass in my eyes, but I know you want us to have a brotherly relationship…"

"What are you saying?" she asked, furrowing her brow.

"I'm saying that I invited Itachi over for dinner next Monday," he answered. "I swear on my life I will not get jealous or angry and I won't start any fights…"

Sakura couldn't help but let her jaw drop in surprise.

"Y-You invited him… over?" she whispered.

He nodded, looking away.

She smiled and hugged him, not caring that he was tensing up in her arms.

"I'm proud of you, Sasuke-kun," she told him.

"Yeah, uh, I-I should get going," he replied, walking out of the house.

She flopped down on the couch and sighed happily.

Maybe the future wouldn't be so bleak if Sasuke and Itachi were willing to be civil…

_Itachi… Here… In my house… Both of us, together… _she thought happily.

Then, the memories of the day she'd gone to see Itachi in his office made her smile fall and her giddy blush turn into a nervous flush.

That… would prove to be awkward…

Then, the phone rang and she jumped to answer it, trying to get her mind off of the situation at hand.

When she answered it, however, she was shocked to hear Itachi's voice.

"Sakura, thank God you answered the phone," he said quickly. "Are you okay?"

"I-I… I'm fine…" she answered.

"I-I called with the hopes of catching Sasuke before he left for work… Apparently he's inviting me over for dinner?"

"Yeah, he just told me, this Monday…" 

"Look, now that I have you on the phone, I have to apologize… I was far too forward with you," he apologized. "I promise I will never do such a foolish thing again…"

"No… I've been thinking and the real reason I panicked was because I was so close to telling you that I would agree," she confessed. "But you should know as well as I do how troublesome that'd be for Sasuke-kun…"

"Yeah," he agreed. "Well, I guess we should just forget about that and focus on the task at hand…"

"And what would that be?"

"Finding out just what Sasuke's plotting…"

"B-But he swore on his life he wouldn't do anything…"

"It was obviously a lie."

Thinking about it, it was rather suspicious how he all of a sudden decided this dinner thing.

"I'll think on it," she told him. "I'll try to get something out of him and call you back when I can."

"Alright," he replied. "And Sakura?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you," he said then hung up.

Sakura could only sit there, the receiver of the phone held to her ear and a blush on her cheeks.

When she finally hung up, she held a hand to her cheek and smiled slightly, imagining Itachi before her, telling her he loved her and kissing her…

* * *

A/N: X3 Things are getting... Not-so-interesting... aren't they? n.n 


	8. Grocery Shopping

A/N: Enjoy! Sorry for taking so long to update! n.n;

* * *

"Sasuke-kun," sing-songed Sakura, sitting beside her husband. 

"Hm?" he asked, keeping his eyes on the book he was reading.

"Do you really want to be civil with your brother?" she asked. "I mean, do you really, deep down want to?"

Sasuke looked at her as though she was a weirdo and nodded. "Yeah... Why?"

"Well, I was thinking... Itachi really is a weirdo and he really is a bit stuck-up," she lied through her teeth, hiding crossed fingers behind her back. "So, I just wanted to tell you that you can be as mean and ruthless as you want to be..."

His odd expression turned to suspicion and he said, "Interesting..."

"So, if you're planning anything, feel free to tell me and I'll do what I can to-"

Sasuke reached over her and took the wrist that had her fingers crossed and brought it out into plain sight.

She looked at her fingers in surprise then chuckled sheepishly, walking off, thinking, _Dammit!_

Later that night, she called Itachi's cell.

"Hello, Sakura..."

"Hello psychic Itachi..." she replied with a smirk. "Got me in your caller ID already, do you?"

"Anything for you," he said with a chuckle.

"My, how generous..."

She heard Itachi laugh and she blushed. Oh, how beautiful his laughter sounded...

"So, what's the news?" he inquired.

"Sasuke-kun's smarter than we thought..." she answered with a sigh. "Maybe we should let it play out, but be ready for anything?"

"Well... That could be alright... I guess it's all we've got to go on, so we'll see how that goes..."

"Oh, and Itachi...?"

"Hm?"

"I-I love you... too..."

There was silence until she heard Itachi say, "Y-You do...?"

"Yeah... I-Is that a bad thing?"

"Well, I'm not sure because of that little thing about you being married..."

What a guy... In such a situation, he could still joke around... She had to admire him for that...

"I know, it sucks..."

"Well, for what it's worth, I love you, too..."

She blushed and stifled a school-girlish squeal...

Once they hung up, after a long night of talking, Sakura finally fell asleep beside her husband who was silently dreaming of how well-thout-out his plan was.

* * *

Well, monday finally came and everybody, even Sasuke, was happy. 

Sakura was busily getting ready to leave the house to buy groceries for the dinner when the phone rang.

When she answered it, Sasuke told her, "I'll be home soon."

"But you usually don't come home until seven," Sakura told him. "That's four hours from now."

"Well, Itachi said he'd be here by six, and I'd like to be there when he comes."

"Oh, okay then... I'm afraid I may not be here then, I'll be getting groceries... You don't mind being home alone, do you?"

"That'll be fine."

"Okay," she replied and they hung up.

* * *

While shopping in the produce area, she caught a glimpse of Itachi facing opposite her in Dairy. 

She smiled and approached him, pushing along her grocery cart.

"What'cha up to?" she asked, peeking over his shoulder to see what he was looking at.

He turned, two bricks of cheese in his hands and smiled.

"Hey, Beautiful," he greeted, making her blush. "I was just coming up with something I could bring along to the dinner tonight. It's rude not to bring something along."

She nodded in understanding. "What will you be making?"

"I make a half-decent lasagna... I just need to decide on what cheese..."

"I'd say mazzerella would work best; it's what I always use..."

Itachi nodded and dropped the two bricks he was holding into the basket he was holding.

"Mind if I leech onto you?" he asked. "Shopping alone's kind of boring..."

She nodded and Itachi followed her around.

She could feel him watching her hand reach for what she felt she'd need, then pull back. Then, he'd watch her reach up and grab something, then lightly place it i the cart.

"If you'd like, you can make your lasagna at our house," she told him, going to a till. "We've got all the things you'll need to make it."

He agreed and they headed to her house, Sakura in her car and Itachi in his.

* * *

A/N: Well, here it is! Hope ya like it! Sorry again for taking so long! 


	9. Failed Plan

A/N: Well, here's the next chapter! XD Thanks for the reviews! And... There's quite a bit of action in this one!

* * *

"Sasuke-kun, we're here," Sakura called as she entered the house with Itachi. 

They both set their groceries on the counter and looked around for Sasuke.

Looking at the clock, she could see that it was well passed five o'clock.

"He must not be home yet," she told Itachi. "He wasn't supposed to be back until seven, but he insisted on coming home early..."

He nodded and started taking out all the things he'd bought and started getting ready to make the lasagna.

"Mind telling mewhere I can find a pan and stuff?"

Sakura went into one of the cupboards and took out a pan, a pot, a spatula and all the other things Itachi would need.

And, with that, they both set to work on getting dinner ready.

"If we're lucky, we'll be able to get everything done before Sasuke-kun comes home," Sakura said. "That way he'll have a warm meal after a long day of work... Didn't you work today?"

"No, I booked the day off at the firm," he answered, placing the noodles inside the boiling water.

She nodded while she stirred the hamburgar in the pan.

"You never told me what you're making," he told her.

"Homemade borritos," she answered. "My mom used to make them when I was little and she passed the recipe on to me."

"Homemade borritos and homemade lasagna... Yummy..."

Sakura giggled and she started opening the containers of sour cream and salsa.

Then, she felt Itachi's hand on her arm and she turned to him. Approaching him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and his arms wrapped around her waist.

Before their lips had a chance to meet, the sound of a key twisting in the door lock was heard and they quickly pulled away.

"I'm home!" the two heard Sasuke call as he opened the door.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted.

"Hey, baby bro!"

Sasuke walked into the room, sniffing the air. "Mmm, something smells good!" he exclaimed.

"That would be your wife's magnificent cooking," Itachi told him with a smile. "I envy you, Bro..."

"I'm sure you do," Sasuke said, approaching Sakura and kissing her deeply.

Sakura squeaked in surprise, her eyes wide, staring at Itachi in worry.

She knew what Sasuke was doing. It was obvious by the way he was staring at Itachi through the corner of his eye.

She freed her lips and wiped away the disgusting taste of beer on her lips from Sasuke's with her hand.

"You're drunk," she stated, turning back to the frying hamburgar before her. "You said you were at work."

"I was," Sasuke answered.

Sakura sighed in frustration and told him, "Itachi and I will cook dinner, why don't you go take a cold shower or something to help sober you up?"

"Maybe I just want to be with you," Sasuke told her, leaning in to kiss her again.

"Sasuke-kun, what is with you today?" she asked, jumping out oh the younger Uchiha's way to keep away from his lips.

"Can I not kiss my wife?"

"No!" she answered. "You can't because you're drunk and it'd be rude to Itachi."

"Who cares about Itachi?" Sasuke slurred. "What happened to you saying, ' Itachi really is a weirdo and he really is a bit stuck-up," she lied through her teeth, hiding crossed fingers behind her back. "So, I just wanted to tell you that you can be as mean and ruthless as you want to be...'?"

She glared at him and asked, "What happened to you finding my fingers crossed behind my back?"

Sasuke shook his head in amusement. "You're cute when you're angry..."

Once again, he tried to kiss her, but, this time, Itachi took his younger brother by the shoulder and gripped it.

Sasuke turned to his brother, glaring daggers into the elder Uchiha's eyes. He asked, "What makes you think that you have any right to touch me?"

"Sasuke-kun, please, calm down," Sakura said, her hands shaking in fear.

"Shut up, you two-timing bitch!" yelled Sasuke.

Then, quicker than both Sasuke and Sakura could comprehend, Itachi had his little brother against the wall, his hand against his throat just tight enough to keep him in place, but he could still breath.

"Don't you ever talk about Sakura like that again, you little worm," Itachi yelled angrilly. "If you do, and I hope you do, I'll rip your throat out again! And, remember, brother, I got a gold medal in martial arts while you got a bronze..."

Sakura gasped, finally coming over her shock and realizing the two were fighting over her. "Itachi, Sasuke-kun, stop!" she cried. "It's not worth it!"

"Sakura," Itachi said softly, not taking his eyes from his younger brother. "Get some things together, you can stay with me tonight... I'm not going to let you stay with this creep..."

Sakura stood in place, wondering what she should do.

Itachi finally looked at her, his eyes calm and caring. "Come on, Sakura... I don't think you want to stay with Sasuke in this condition..."

She nodded reluctantly, got a garbage bag and filled it with as many clothes and hygiene products as she could.

When she finished, she walked back to the kitchen where Sasuke was still forced against the wall, glaring at his elder brother.

She quickly shut off the burners on the stove and waited for Itachi.

He let go of his brother, escorted Sakura out of the house and to his car.

They backed out just in time to see Sasuke run out of the house to get Itachi out of the car.

They quickly drove to Itachi's house where Sakura finally broke down in Itachi's arms.

"I'm so sorry," Sakura apologized between sobs as Itachi tried to soothe her. "I'm sorry for how rude Sasuke-kun was to you..."

"Don't worry about it," he replied. "Feel free to stay here as long as you need to..."

She thanked him and held him.

He took her chin and inclined her head. Once they were looking into each other's eyes, Itachi lightly pressed his lips to Sakura's and kissed her gently.

It was amazing to Sakura... There was no pain, no forcefulness, no little voice in the back of her head telling her she was making a mistake... In other words, the simple kiss was very different than any kiss she'd shared with Sasuke.

Well, kissing led to touching and touching led to much, much more.

Their first intimate night was nothing short of perfect.

A/N: Ooh, smexy, huh? XD


	10. Her Return

A/N: Here's the next chap! It looks as though I've updated all of my in-progress stories... Todays a productive day, no?

* * *

It had been a few weeks since the party disaster and Sakura hadn't seen, let alone spoken to, Sasuke since his frightening outburst. 

Sakura had been staying with Itachi and was quite happy with him. He was telling her that she should feel free to move her belongings into his house while Sasuke was gone to work and he even offered to help.

Of course, she told him that she wasn't quite ready to do such a drastic thing so soon and told him that she'd have to go home soon.

That was a week ago...

"I-I'm afraid to go back," she told Itachi during dinner. "He's probably so angry at me... I can't even imagine how angry he's going to be when he sees me..."

"Well, my door is always open," Itachi replied softly, taking her hand. "If it gets rough, feel free to come back.. I'll even give you a spare key so you can get in."

She nodded, staring into her plate.

"Thank you, Itachi," she said, tears welling in her eyes. "You've been so kind to me all this time... If only I'd met you even an hour before I met Sasuke-kun."

"Now, don't go saying that," he told her with a chuckle, wiping a tear from her eye. "I'm going to find a way around this, okay? With any hope, you won't be married to Sasuke much longer."

"But your parents... I'm fine with them hating me, but Sasuke..."

"I'll talk to them... I'll tell them that you were the one that left and that Sasuke had no intention of divorce. They can't hate you for having different views..."

She nodded.

"You wouldn't mind if I left tomorrow, would you?" she inquired.

"Not at all," he answered supportively. "Go do what you need to do and I'll be a shoulder you can cry on if anything happens..."

She nodded and they continued eating their dinner in silence.

* * *

Sakura snuck out of the house before Itachi had woken up. 

She left a note that read:

Gone home, I love you!

Thank you so much for your hospitality...

I'm almost hoping something will go wrong so I can come back to you!

Sakura

Unfortunately, things went rather well... Well, as well as could be expected... She just sat on the couch, didn't make dinner or anything when Sasuke walked in the door and he was just glad to see her back.

He even made dinner!

That night, she'd slept on the couch, even though Sasuke offered to, and dreamt of Itachi...

It made her lovesick... How she missed him...

She'd gotten used to his telling her that he loved her and that he always would...

She looked forward to any chance to speak to him or see him and she couldn't wait to see if Itachi could find a way to get her seperated from Sasuke...

It was only a matter of time...

* * *

A/N: I hope this wasn't boring... Aorry for the shortness! 


	11. Lifelike Nightmare

A/N: This one has some angst in it... Oh, well! I still like it! It has lovie-doviness, too, though! X3 Enjoy!

* * *

"S-Sasuke-kun...?" Sakura asked while she was making dinner one day. 

"Hm?"

"Well, why aren't you angry anymore? I mean, I thought you would've been so angry to see me again..."

He chuckled and told her, "It gave me some time to think and I realized that I needed you more than I wanted to make Itachi's life a living hell... That's why I'm going to change for the better..."

"Is that all I am?" she inquired, staring at him in slight anger. "Just something to keep at your own convenience? I thought you said we were friends?"

"You know that's not what I meant, Sakura," he replied calmly, much different than usual. "What I meant was that I enjoy having you here..."

Didn't sound like it...

Despite her doubts, Sakura continued to make dinner, pretending to forget all about what Sasuke had told her.

_

* * *

"Sakura..." _

"I-Itachi...?" Sakura asked, looking around in the darkness of this odd, unfamiliar world.

"Sakura, live with me..."

"I-I... Yes, I will!" she exclaimed, tears of happiness welling in her eyes.

Then, a light clicked on and she saw Itachi before her, extending his hand to her.

She took a few small steps toward him and extended her own hand to take his.

As soon as her hand touched his, Sasuke's angry voice boomed around them, yelling, "No! I will not allow you to leave me, you dirty bitch! Or have you forgotten your vows; 'Till death do you part'?"

"S-Sasuke-kun...?" Sakura breathed, taking back her hand in surprise.

"A one-night-stand doesn't mean you claimed her as your own!" Itachi defended her. "It was lust, not love!"

"And since when has love ever played a part in marriage?" Sasuke asked.

Then, Sasuke materialized before the couple wearing a tuxedo...

She looked at herself and Itachi and noticed that she was wearing a bridal gown and Itachi a tuxedo, as well.

"I-Itachi... Let's get out of here..." Sakura suggested, feeling the blood lust in the air.

"No," he replied. "It's about time Sasuke learned his place in life; as a lonely little boy that didn't stop wetting the bed till he was nine years old!"

Sasuke's face turned from one of frustration to one of ferocity and savage-like barbarism. He lunged at his brother like a wild animal and forced him to the ground.

The battling siblings rolled on the ground of what seemed to be a church while Sakura cried for them to stop.

Not long after, Itachi was on top of Sasuke, holding him down, panting.

He was too busy holding his flailing and struggling brother down that he was unable to wipe the blood dripping from his nose and from his busted lip.

"Itachi, come on, let's go... Let's just leave him before somebody gets hurt!"

"Oh, somebody's going to get hurt, alright!"

And a knife materialized in Sasuke's hand and he thrusted it upward.

The last thing she heard was Itachi's pain-filled grunt mixed with her own frightened one.

Sakura shot awake, panting and crying, drenched in cold sweat.

She found herself alone in her bed and she sighed in relief.

She ran to the living room where she found Sasuke sleeping, grabbed the cordless phone and ran back to her bedroom.

She dialed Itachi's number and listened to the phone ring, each ring sending another dagger to her heart.

When she heard Itachi's tired and annoyed voice answer the phone, she finally burst out into broken sobs...

"Sakura?" Itachi asked, the annoyance that was there before long gone. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"You and Sasuke-kun were fighting and you were stabbed and we were in a church and..." Sakura continued to ramble on about her dream, barely stopping to take a breath and Itachi listened intently without interrupting.

"It was a dream, Sakura... It was just a dream... I'm fine, you're fine and Sasuke's fine..."

"It was just... so real..."

"I know, Baby, I know..."

The two stayed on the phone for a few hours longer, Itachi consoling and Sakura whispering her "I love you"s and "I miss you".

Then, the two fell asleep without even hanging up the phone...

A/N: Daw! X3 So coote! ... :sneaks up behind Sakura with a knife: Huh? Oh, uh, shoo! I got business to do:Continues to sneak, raises the knife and-:

GOTCHA!


	12. Untimely Death

A/N: Enjoy!

* * *

"Sakura..."

The familiar voice called Sakura's name as she lay in her bed, asleep.

"Sakura..."

Still, Sakura did not awake. She felt the touch of a hand lightly nudging her shoulder. Her eyes fluttered open and she saw Itachi staring at her, smiling softly.

"I-Itachi?" she stuttered, sitting up. "What's going on? Sasuke..."

"Is at work," he finished for her. "I came here because I've cracked it..."

"Cracked what?"

"It!" he answered, smiling wider. "I'm going to get you a divorce from Sasuke."

"How?" she asked. "What are we going to do?"

"Just answer one thing for me, Sakura... Do you love me?"

"Y... Yes..."

"I mean, do you really love me?"

"Itachi, you're worrying me..."

"You're willing to do what you need to get away from Sasuke?"

"Of course," she answered.

"Leave with me, Sakura," he told her. "We have nothing here... We could move anywhere! China, Europe, North America, South America, Australia, anywhere!"

"But... What about your family? What about your job? How are we going to afford this?"

"I don't care about them... All my life, they've expected from me more than I could give. They think of me more as a tool, a convenience, more than anything... There are other jobs..."

"How are we going to afford this, though... It's going to cost a lot of money..."

"I have a trust fund," he answered. "I was saving it up to get out of this retched place, but I never got around to leaving... Now, there's more enough to get us both out of here and still have some money left over to find a place to live..."

"You're willing to do this for me?" she asked, tears welling in her eyes.

"Of course," he answered. "I love you..."

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly while he held her back.

"When will we leave?" she asked.

"As soon as possible," he answered. "I've packed all my necessities... Let's get you packed and we'll high-tail it out of here..."

She nodded, giving him a light kiss on the lips and getting out of the bed.

Then, the sound of a door opening was heard and they turned to see the angered face of Sasuke glaring at them.

"S-Sasuke-kun...?" Sakura breathed. "What are you doing home?"

"I came here because you weren't answering the phone and I catch you having some tryst with my brother?"

"I-I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun..."

"Don't be sorry," he replied. "It's to be expected... I mean, compared to Itachi, I'm yesterday's news, right?"

"Sasuke, it's not like that..." Itachi told Sasuke.

"No, I think it is... Don't deny it... You've won," Sasuke said. "But why stop there, hm? Take my house, take my car... Take my life! I mean, the great Uchiha Itachi gets everything he wants, right? Take it all!"

"You're overreacting..." stated Sakura, taking a step back in worry.

"Overreacting? I'm not overreacting! If I'm overreacting, it's because I'm so happy that you two will have you Happily Ever After! Even if it means my being unhappy for the rest of my life!

"That's just what I get for being the younger brother of Uchiha Itachi!"

"Sasuke-kun, calm down," Sakura commanded, her voice low but commanding.

"No!" Sasuke yelled, his face turning to an even worse look of hatred. "I won't calm down! I've been calm everyday but today!"

"Come here, Sasuke," Itachi commanded. "Follow me, I'll get a few beers in you and you'll calm right down... My treat..."

"Shut up, you spineless asshole!" Sasuke yelled only louder. "I hate you! I _hate_ you! I won't calm down until I see you dead!"

Visions of the dream from a week ago ran through Sakura's mind and her eyes widened.

A bright glint caught Sakura's eye from behind Sasuke back and she yelled, "Itachi! You have to get out of here! Now!"

"Why?" asked Itachi, looking at Sakura, his brow furrowed.

"Just get out!"

Looking confused, Itachi took Sakura's hand and began to lead her out of the room. Sasuke, like a flash, blocked the doorway, a butcher knife in his hand.

"The only way you're getting out of here is in a body bag!" he yelled, the look of a wild animal in his onyx eyes.

"Have you gone totally insane?" asked Itachi, looking disgusted. "You look like a demon right now! Put the knife down and we'll talk..."

"Enough talking! I've had enough!"

Sasuke lunged at Itachi who dodged... Unfortunately, that led to Sasuke's tragic death...

When Itachi dodged, Sasuke stumbled and fell to the ground, the knife stabbing into his belly.

He let out a grunt and, his shaking hands clutched to the carpet and he was able to turn and grab Itachi's ankle.

Sakura watched Sasuke stare up into Itachi's confused and worried eyes. How afraid Sasuke looked.

She ran out of the room and to the phone where she proceeded to call 9-1-1.

The paramedics were there within minutes...

Sasuke was admitted and considered critical. He died within the hour.

* * *

A/N: Damn! TT.TT 


	13. Unknown Love

A/N: Well, here's another chapter... Unfortunately, it's the last of this story... Please enjoy!

* * *

The funeral for Uchiha Sasuke was a long one. Family from all over the country had come to mourne the death of the youngest Uchiha heir... 

Apparently he was more loved than he'd thought because more people showed up for the funeral than for any of the annual family reunions.

"If only he'd known," Sakura told herself, wishing Sasuke could hear her.

Itachi nodded, hearing her from a few feet away.

They couldn't stand with each other... Not at Sasuke's funeral... That would be just too cruel.

"Lord, we put our faith and the soul of this young man in your strong, capable hands... Ashes to ashes, dust to dust... Amen..."

Sakura watched the expensive casket lower into the ground and the people begin to leave to mourne the death of their family member or friend alone.

Sakura, Itachi and his parents were the only ones who remained.

Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha approached Sakura and Itachi followed, the silence remaining constant.

Finally, after a few moments, Mikoto jerked back a hand and slapped Sakura across the face.

"Vile bitch!" she hissed. "If you and this... this traitor to our family hadn't had that damned tryst, Sasuke-chan would be alive right now!"

Itachi stepped forward, shielding Sakura and shot back, "You need to learn to keep your accusations back until you know the whole story."

"Who are you to speak?" asked Fugaku angrily. "You killed your own brother!"

"He killed himself!" Sakura cried. "He didn't mean to, h-he was trying to kill Itachi... Sasuke-kun lunged at Itachi, he jumped away in defense and Sasuke tripped and stabbed himself!"

"And we're supposed to take your word on this, you who lied to your husband so you could sleep around with other men?" asked Mikoto, vemon in every word. "You're nothing but a whore!"

"That's enough, Mother!" Itachi snapped, his voice raising with every word. "Won't stand here and listen to you speak to Sakura like this any longer!"

Then, a man in a dark suit came by and said, "I'm very sorry to interrupt, but I tried calling your house and nobody answered..."

"Who are you?" asked Fugaku.

"I work in the lab where Uchiha Sasuke received his autopsy and we just got the results of the fingerprints on the knife.

"Call the police then," Mikoto commanded. "I want this son of mine to be tried for the harshest charges out there..."

"Um, I'm sorry, but the fingerprints on the knife were Uchiha Sasuke's... Nobody murdered your son, he killed himself."

Mikoto stared at Sakura and Itachi in surprise for a moment then stormed off, no apology, now word, no anything.

Itachi took Sakura's hand and pulled her closer to him. He told the man, "Thank you very much, Sir."

"I'm very sorry for your loss," the man said and walked off.

Sakura asked Itachi, "What now? What do we do?""

"The only thing we can do... We live..."

* * *

Mr. and Mrs. uchiha moved out of the city and Itachi inherited everything, seeing as how Sasuke wasn't able to inherit everything. 

Eventually, Sakura and Itachi began dating again, after quite a few years, of course.

The two got engaged and, the day after they did, they found out that Sakura was pregnant.

They had fraternal twins, a girl named Sayu and a boy named Sasuke...

A/N: Well, I'd like to say, "And they lived happily ever after", but I don't know whether that's too corny or not... So, I'm going with it is...

Thank you all so much for reading this far and to the reviewers for taking the time to give me some input on how you like or dislike my work... I look forward to seeing some of you in any of my future stories, so... Hopefully not for the last time, Ja ne!


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